Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter: 129. The Well of Chaos (2)

“Get in the way. Go away.”

I swung my punch at someone who suddenly popped out and blocked my path.

The other party didn’t seem to expect my action, unable to make any defensive moves as my fist sank into their abdomen.

They crashed into the wall and fainted.

Looking at them drooling with their eyes rolled back, it didn’t seem like there was anything more to be done, so I turned my head and resumed moving forward.

What was that guy just now? Seeing him in a colorful outfit, he looked like some kind of hero or villain trying to get in my way.

There wouldn’t be a normal person in Nanjido, so I blew him away right away, but for some reason, it bothered me.

…Could it be that the hero selection team of the Association has entered Nanjido?

I briefly entertained that thought, but there’s no way a hero on an official operation would be wandering around alone.

Most likely, it’s just a leftover villain who accidentally ended up in Nanjido. Probably trying to rob confidently and ended up getting into an accident.

I grabbed the clothes of someone who popped out of the alley and tossed them back as I finished my thoughts.

This one looked like an ordinary civilian no matter how I viewed it, so I threw them casually.

If they’re unlucky, they might sprain their wrist when hitting the ground, but oh well, they’re a Nanjido resident. There shouldn’t be any complaints.

“Hey! You! What are you up to!”

Hearing that voice coming from behind, it seemed they landed safely.

Even so, I had no intentions of apologizing as I just dashed ahead.

Speaking of which, it’s been a while since I started running, but I don’t see a familiar path.

Was it a mistake?

The floor below has thick walls and many people, plus they all look similar, so I tried to find a path from the upper floor, but despite running for nearly five minutes, I still hadn’t found a way.

At this rate, it might have been faster to head to the market and use space shifting.

As I thought about this while running, I spotted a ramen bag.

A yellow ramen bag that I can’t find now that the company has disappeared.

Faded gray, stuck in the middle of a heap of trash forming a wall.

I remember that.

As soon as I recognized it, a map of how to proceed started quickly drawing itself in my mind.

“That way!”

Thud.

Since the direction I needed to go was completely different, I slammed my legs down hard and added a rotation to my whole body.

Greeeeek.

Was it because the surrounding terrain reacted to the sudden directional change?

I heard the sound of something snapping, but seeing that the surrounding walls were fine meant it probably wasn’t a big problem.

At worst, the cupboards in the nearby houses would have fallen or something spilled over. Anyway, everything’s going to break soon, so what does it matter?

I adjusted my spun body towards the direction I needed to go and smashed back down.

Thud.

With the angry thump, the scenery that had briefly stopped resumed flowing quickly.

Thud. Thud.

Hearing the sound of something dropping behind me, I turned to check, and there was the sight of the residential walls collapsing.

Was the squeak noise from cracking inside? Since it’s a wall formed from a heap of trash, the impact hadn’t shown on the outside.

Ignoring that again, I dashed ahead.

I felt a bit guilty, but it couldn’t be helped. Isn’t saving their lives something I should be doing?

Let’s just bypass some minor problems.

Thinking this, I increased my speed.

I raced through a place I had previously dashed for several hours with my students, now trying to cover that distance in under five minutes.

A plain green iron door sticking to an ordinary wall.

So ordinary that it stood out even more in this bizarre place.

Found it.

Crack.

Since there wasn’t an opponent to transfer the energy from my accelerated body onto, I slammed my legs into the ground to stop, but the concrete floor couldn’t hold up, and I ended up digging quite a long distance.

Anyway, everything’s bound to break, so who cares.

Ruminating on that thought again, I turned back.

A concrete floor deeply dug as if suitable for planting seeds and farming, and a long, regularly lined boot footprint behind me.

I don’t know. Am I running a bit too excessively since I won’t get any complaints?

It’s not even my house, so who cares.

As I disregarded the ongoing problems, I swung my fist.

“Hey, you guys. Open the door!”

What kind of guests don’t even open the door when they’re here?

Thud. Thud. Bam. Crash.

As I knocked several times and the door didn’t open, the force I used gradually increased.

Open up. I’m in a hurry.

Bang. Crack.

An ominous sound echoed.

Squeak.

The scream of metal.

I didn’t do it?

To prove that, I stepped away from the door, but the fate of the door that had already exceeded its limits had been sealed.

With a final crunch, the door screamed once before its hinges broke.

Should I grab it?

For a moment, I hesitated in thought, and during that time, the door collapsed inward.

Thud.

The fallen door filled the dark room with a sound, and the resulting shock sent a cloud of dust high into the air.

In the completely empty room lay just one destroyed iron door. With nothing floating around but dust…

I’m done for.

For a moment, I had hoped it was a real door, but as I first thought, it’s just a pile of space-moving junk.

“I broke it.”

Hahaha.

I found it absurd and started laughing.

What now?

With the door broken, they won’t be able to come welcome me from the other side.

I didn’t expect it to break just from knocking since the door’s durability was trash…

…Let’s stop with the self-affirmation.

Didn’t I break it myself?

For some reason, it feels like I’ve been breaking a lot of things today.

From the concrete yard whirling dust behind me to the residential walls below.

A sense of alienation began to settle in.

I intended it to some extent, but did I really lose control over my power this much? I shouldn’t have lost control to the point of breaking an iron door.

While searching for any discrepancies, my mind trailed back…

…“Why did you break the poor door?”

A voice came from behind.

A voice I recognized.

“You guys took too long to come out.”

Thinking it was fortunate, I smiled and turned my head.

There stood the guy who guided us to Old Man Ri.

He looked at the ruined door with an expression lacking words.

“You’ve damaged one entrance.”

“It collapsed by itself.”

Yeah. It did collapse by itself.

“Ha… Well, that’s fine.”

The man sighed, passing me by to lift the door.

“What are you doing?”

He seemed to struggle with the heavy door as I asked the question.

“It seems you’re in a rush, but could you hold this for me a bit?”

If he’s asking like that, I can’t say no.

However, I’ve got to make this clear.

“I didn’t break it.”

Saying that, I started to fidget towards the door.

…“I know, so please just hold it.”

Having received confirmation, now it’s not my fault. The door chose to collapse on its own. That’s settled, so I immediately snatched the door from his hands.

“What to do with this?”

…“You’re taking it so easily. Please just prop it up where it originally was.”

Hearing that, I tried to stuff it back into its original spot, but…

“This won’t stay in place.”

The door wobbled unsettlingly back and forth as if it would fall as soon as I let go.

Can’t be helped. Let’s use some strength.

I gripped the door, pushing it downwards.

Snap. Snap.

With the sounds of concrete breaking, the height of the door lowered ever so slightly.

“Is this good enough?”

The door, now embedded in the concrete, stood firm.

Thinking I had done my job, I smiled at the man, but…

“I just meant to get it propped up.”

The man looked at me with an expression of disbelief, alternating his gaze between me and the door.

…“Should I pull it out again?”

Nothing seems to be going right today, seriously.

“I think it should still be usable, so it’s fine.”

The man replied to my question, pushing me aside and stepping up to the door.

“I can’t say for sure if this will work, but…”

After uttering an ominous line, he took out a key from his wrist like last time and repeated a similar motion.

Turning left a few times, then right a few times.

Each time the method was different, turning the key a different number of times than before, and finally, he twisted the doorknob to open it, but…

Click.

There’s of course no way the door would open.

“What, is it going to open?”

What do I do? I feel like I wasted five minutes on this foolish act.

…“Could you push this?”

He asked me to push?

“I don’t think that will work, but…”

But since he’s asking, I should probably do it.

Having been shoved aside, I leaned into him, then pushed the door, and with the squeak of concrete breaking, the door that had somewhat regained its life collapsed forward again.

I figured there’d be a sound when the door hit the floor, but…

Thud.

A much lighter sound reverberated.

“Looks like it worked.”

…“Is this really going to work?”

Space shifting was successful.

Though, unlike before, the door panel was along with it.

“What the?!”

“It’s attacking us!”

The door panel might have flown at us, but more importantly, the members glaring at us with hostility.

I don’t have time for another fight here.

“Oh, it’s the guest who came last time. I’ve got urgent business to discuss with your boss.”

Let’s brazenly go.

That rusty door panel broke itself; it’s not my fault, right?

“Do you think we’ll believe that?!”

“Awakeners! Gather everyone!”

Well, there’s no helping it. I have to guide those guys into dreamland for a moment…

Just as I was about to swing my fist at the enemy…

…“Please stop bothering my colleagues and leave. The Elder is already waiting.”

Oh really?

“Alright, let’s meet then.”

Waving my hand towards the gun barrels, I dashed through the opened door.

“Wait, what are you…”

The members pointing guns at the wall didn’t seem to comprehend what was happening as they rushed towards us, but once the door closed, their cries vanished completely.

The soundproofing is exceptional.

Or maybe, just maybe, that door looked like it existed in the same place but was in a different space.

I thought that could be possible as I walked down the corridor.

The hazy smoke seeping from the door across the hall shone with small flickering lights.

Are they smoking opium again?

This time, there were no dazed students, so I dove into the white mist without expressing any complaints.

In the pitch-dark mist, I discovered a certain object in the center.

A red sofa.

The splendidly bordered sofa, adorned with gold, radiated as if it were the source of light itself, and the red leather encasing it was devoid of any dust.

Not getting caught in the mist, the sofa was clearly visible. I threw myself toward it and surrendered my body to the gentle sensation.

After being satisfied for just about ten seconds.

Regaining my composure, I leaned forward, opening my mouth.

“Old Man Ri, you’re aware of the situation, right?”

Though I couldn’t see anything due to the hazy smoke, I was certain he was in front of me through the flow of the mist and sensation.

“You must know that the Association has come, but I assume you don’t yet know why.”

…“Keep going.”

A different voice than the Old Man Ri I had met last time came through the mist.

It wasn’t hoarse or congested, rather smooth, perhaps resembling how Old Man Ri would have sounded in his younger days.

“We’re short on time, so let’s cut to the chase. Elder Ri, with your influence, can you evacuate everyone from Nanjido?”

“Excluding those who resist, that is.”

“Then I’d like to request that. The goal of the Association is to take the lives of two 0-Rank Monsters. For that, the use of all weaponry except for nuclear weapons has been authorized.”

I actually thought even the nuclear weapons would be unloosened, but I wondered if the Association hadn’t gone that far.

As I lifted the corners of my mouth slightly at that thought, the surrounding mist stirred.

…“This is all your doing.”

“It’s unrelated. I merely pretended not to see that operation.”

Once I spat that out, the white mist entwined around me, licking my body as if wanting to know everything about me.

…“It doesn’t seem to be a lie. However, it’s undoubtedly your fault, Haram Lee.”

“Why do you think that, Elder?”

“Because there’s always a major incident when you’re around.”

That’s an interesting assertion. It seems to imply something more than what was said.

I reflected on that while reading the emotions embedded in Old Man Ri’s voice.

It was steady with no highs or lows and lacked any accent. It seems he’s steady enough. Should I poke again around this point?

“So, what’s your answer to my request?”

…“Zero. You don’t know something. If you want to know that, you should first go underground. I’ll send the information later.”

With Old Man Ri’s reply, the mist whirled around.

I found it intriguing as I gently swayed on the sofa for about 30 seconds.

The mist began to clear.

In a situation where nothing was visible, I slowly began to see my surroundings.

I felt the change while gradually moving my legs.

A gray room appeared.

A space filled with stones and dust. With nothing there, just the sofa laid against the wall.

Well, saying there was nothing is slightly inaccurate.

There is something.

The wrecked iron door I had just destroyed.

(We will die along with Nanjido.)

As I perceived the scenery of the room, a sentence that was incredibly close to emotion flew into my mind.

I’m being kicked out.

Letting out a sigh, I rose from the sofa.

I’ve added one more thing to my to-do list.

In addition to everything I had to do until now, I also had to prevent the explosion.

Is there a time limit?

I contemplated giving up one side as I exited the room.

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